The castle

Raine's p.o.v

My life was pretty much a cycle, no matter what I did or didn't do it would come back to the same place. In a dark abyss. Pain, betrayal, and love are the strongest emotion but only for strong-willed people. They say love is pure and so is hate. Two different emotions, but no difference.

There is a thin line between love and hate.

Even in the open forest I still felt suffocated. After hours of trekking through the woods, we finally came to the pack's territory. It was magnificent not even words would do it justice. The king's palace stood tall and proud in the middle of the other building structures. It was truly a world of its own just as the word said.

Guards shepherded us into the palace through the back. The front entrance was only for royalty and pack leaders.

This was it, my new start. I couldn't contain my gasp once I saw the interior. Victorian architecture gave the place an ancient yet uniquely beautiful look. The feeling of unfamiliarity was stronger than before bringing me out of my awed state.

Come to think of it nowhere ever felt like home. I've always been a stranger, even to my own body. No matter how rich one was and how big the house was, home is where the heart belongs. The four walls don't make a home, people do. I once had a home but the world took it from me. Maybe I was meant to be alone or simply I wasn't meant to exist.

One by one we got into a room with massive double doors. The strongest went in first till I came in last, the weakest. I could sense all the other rogues' content but I couldn't help but feel weary of everything. I couldn't let my guard down. The room seemed to be an office, rarely used since there wasn't any strong scent within.

A lady came out of an adjoining door that I had not noticed before. She seemed to be in her late forties by the wrinkles that covered her face but had the body language of a thirty-year-old. The aura emitting from her as she spoke was that of authority and wisdom. Her wavy greying hair reached her shoulders in a neat ponytail. She wore a black dress which seemed to be a sort of uniform just like all the other workers we had passed in the corridors. Her eyes scrutinized everyone and I couldn't help but tremble and look away when they landed on me.

Her eyes held a mother's look of care and a certain fire in them. She was not one to be messed with. She reminded me of my mother except for the caring part.

"Hello everybody, I am Mrs. Clarke, in charge of all maids and helpers within the castle."Her voice held a certain dominance that signified years of experience and being a leader.

" I will be in charge of every one of you during your stay here, if you have any problem just come to me. All of you have been assigned rooms, with roommates in the same area of work. I expect you to follow the orders given and do your given tasks as best as you can. You are no longer rogues. Your colleagues are your new family. You will be escorted to your rooms where you will all find your schedules besides the beds. Is that clear?"

Yes ma'am," we all said in unison.

I didn't quite know what to feel at that moment. She seemed genuine but I had learned everything came at a price. We were all rejects of society, nobody would assume that fact.

"Do your very best for the period you'll be here, I wish you all the luck."

With that she left through the doors she came in through. Other help came in wearing different colors of uniform for different areas of work. A girl with a white colored dress came over to me with a bored expression on her face.

"Follow me." Her voice held certain malice in it giving me the impression she hated me. Barely a few minutes and I already made an enemy, not shocking. I followed her out of the rooms and into the halls. I had to walk at a slight run because of how fast she walked since getting lost in the endless maze was not an option. The king already detested me for being his mate, I didn't want to add more reason. The thought of the king brought a painful feeling to my heart. It felt as if many knives were piercing my heart which wasn't the first time I felt that. I was slightly grateful all the others didn't hear or know I was his rejected mate. He wouldn't want that either, to be mated to a rouge omega. I wanted a new beginning and that would make my life more painful than it was.

After his words of rejection, he left not even looking back. The rejection almost brought me to tears but I swallowed my anguish. After all, I had no hope of having a mate. It was simply never meant to be, even the moon goddess knew that. It wasn't worth it.

"This is the room, your best is at the corner, next to the bathroom and your uniform is on the bed." With that, the girl left me outside a door.

To others, it would seem like any other door, but to me, it was the door of my future. I opened it ready to take the next step. The past had molded me into what I was but the future would determine what I would become. Even if life brought me to my lowest I would try to get up, to prove to myself that I was worth living even when it didn't seem like it.

All I had to do was to take one step at a time. With one last breath, I got in.

My tomorrow is gonna be better than today.